From Shapes In Shadows
by Atherys
Summary: DaveKat In which Dave is not at all as normal as he thought he was, Demons are real and so are various other supernatural creatures , John and Jade only want to help but are perhaps not able to and Dave is basically screwed. Possibly literally. Demon!Karkat, Excorcist!Prospit kids and as for Dave... You'll see.Also containing UST like you wouldn't believe.
1. Chapter 1

**Full summary;**

Dave can't remember much from his life before the accident. He doesn't really mind - he can remember what is IMPORTANT, and who's ever needed childhood memories anyways? But his nightmares are getting more and more frequent, strange things are happening and he's starting to suspect he might have to remember after all.  
He's nearing his 16th birthday, and things are about to get fucked up.

(Fucked up does in this particular case mean that every single supernatural being on this side of the planet seems to be out for his blood. Or more. )

Pairing; DaveKat. The rating is likely to be upped to an M later on, for some rather suggestive themes. See end AN for more notes!

_"Don't cry little dude. Don't ever give them the satisfaction. Stay strong."_

_He sniffles and wipes at his eyes. "But why won't they leave me alone, bro?"_

_His bro smirks at him and ruffles his hair, Dave squeaking in indignation. "They can't keep their hands off your sick Strider bod, that's all. Just wait 'til you get older, see the chicks start flowin' in-"_

_"Dirk, can't you at least wait until he's __**ten**__?" He laughs._

_"You know me, Rox, I can't be tamed-" and the memory shifts away in a sea of summer and laughter._

_The scene changes._

_"Daaave! Dave, wait up!" the boy's face is blurry but his smile is brilliant and his eyes are as blue as the sky. Dave laughs and runs faster but then he trips over nothing and falls, hitting the ground with a thunk and then there are hands tearing at his hair, scratching at his throat and he can't __**breathe**__—_

**_"_**_Get __**off**__ him!" The other boy pulls him up from the ground and brushes off his shoulders, mumbling something under his breath while doing so. For a few moments he looks serious, but when he meets Dave's eyes he's back to his normal smile. "Jeez, Dave! Those weren't even strong ones, how could you let them beat you?"_

_"Shut up, I totally could've taken them!" He laughs and Dave punches him in the arm. _

_"Ow! Okay, okay, you could've taken them, I give in!"_

_When Dave comes home he asks Bro to teach him how to fight._

_The scene changes._

_"-but it won't go away?" He's peeking through a hole in the floor to the room below. Bro is running his hands through his hair, messing it up completely. Dave frowns. _

_"No. I'm sorry." The other man actually sounds regretful as he steps closer and Dave can't quite bring himself to be mad at him for upsetting bro. "Dirk, I—"_

_"Don't, Jake. Just… don't."_

_There is a tense silence for a few seconds and then bro sags against the wall and Dave has to look away because he looks __**broken**__-_

_"What can I __**do**__? He's just a kid, Jake, he's just a __**kid-**__"_

_"I know, Dirk. I know. We'll keep him safe." And then bro is clinging to him and Dave silently crawls back to his room with the feeling that he intruded on something private._

_The scene changes._

_"Is there anything I can do to make you stay?"_

_They're standing on the road outside the house and for once, the heat is actually manageable. Dave is pissed off, refusing to come out from his spot behind bro. _

_"No. I'm sorry, Dirk. It's important."_

_Bro sighs and corrects his shades. "Yeah, I know, I'll just… Miss you, I guess. Gonna be tough keeping him out of trouble on my own."_

_Dave's attention is pulled away from the grownups by his friend pulling at his shirt. "Bye Dave!" he chirps. "I'll miss you!" _

_"Yeah, whatever," you say and mimics bro, fixing your shades. The faceless boy rolls his eyes and pulls you in for a hug before letting go and running back to Jake. _

_"We'll be back," they promise. _

_The scene changes._

_they're gone and you're alone and you can't make it stop you can't make them leave you can't you can't you c a nt—_

He wakes with a gasp and a shiver – and then immediately berates himself for being such a sissy. He's a Strider, dammit, the only one now that bro's gone(_ "We're sorry, Dave. They couldn't save him._) and no Strider will ever get their panties in a twist over some god damn nightmares.

But it's just so _frustrating_ – they're not nightmares, not really, they're _memories_, and there are pieces missing. He can remember bro, mostly, and the accident( _ bro laughing with him and the sun and the heat and the pure exhilarating joy of __**living**__ and then the other car the crash the pain the confusion and everything goes black)_, waking up in the hospital to Rose and Roxy's worried faces ( _I thought you were dead, Dave, they told me you might die please don't die Dave __**please**__" and he had never seen her lose her cool like that and it was fucking freaky, yeah_) and the message that he was alone.

The first few months after that are a bit hazy(_everyone looking at him like he might shatter or snap any second and Roxy drinking and Rose being a whole damn lot more touchy feely than usual)_ but there are no gaps anymore, and everything since he changed schools to make it easier for Roxy to drive him and Rose every morning is crystal clear.

Before the accident there are… gaps. Huge chunks of time where he remembers absolutely nothing. Rose is there – hell, she's _always _been there, ever since he was old enough to remember anything _at all_ – and so is Roxy, and bro, of course, but other than that… gaps. Flashes and hints, but never anything coherent.

The shadows in the corner of the room shifts. He sits up and scrabbles at the table next to the bed for his shades ("_Don't ever take them off Dave, okay? They're magic!_). The moment he slips them on it disappears.

He walks over to check, just in case. Nothing.

Damn nightmares.

He pulls the window shut before walking back to the bed, taking a quick look at the time.

"_Oh for god's sake_," he mumbles before leaving the room. Time to kick his lovely not-really-sister out of bed. Roxy'd be pissed if they were late for school.

_Outside the window something is watching._

_"Come __**on**__," one of them say, "What are you __**waiting**__ for? You've been watching him forever, we all know you want him and no one's stopping you so why won't you just __**take**__ him?"_

_"You know why."_

_"God, you're boring."_

_There's a scoff and a quick scuffle. "Sure I am. Come on, let's go."_

_They disappear into the night._

__That's all there is to the prologue, everyone! This story is being crossposted to ao3 and Tumblr, under the username Atherys. Look for it there if you like that better! (god knows I do...)

Comments/Reviews/Concrit would be much appreciated; anyone who's ever tried writing fics knows how discouraging it is to feel like you're passing by unnoticed :'D

Chapter 1 will be up by tomorrow, latest. If you're actually that impatient, ao3's already got it ;)


	2. Chapter 1 In Which Jade Harley Arrives

**AN:  
**Chapter 1. Jade is introduced! You have my word it won't be a SpaceTime fic, even if she is the main focus right now :P

-0-

"-and later we'll go through your class schedules for-"

He zones out. Doesn't really give a shit about school. Never did. Worst case scenario, if he failed everything or got expelled or some shit like that, he could always get by on DJ-ing. Or photography, he's always enjoyed photography, ever since he was little(_a laugh and a warm smile and a "Dave, you moron, you can't catch them on __**camera**__" and a haze of heat and time and __**rightness**_). So. No actual reason to pay attention.

Not to mention how fucking _tired _he is. Seriously, who decided living nearly an hour's walk away from school was a good idea(_"it'll be okay dave you'll live with us we'll get by"_) anyways? Roxy was awesome, but that was like the worst choice she's ever made. And okay, yeah, the lack of energy might be more from not having gotten a decent night's sleep in who knows how long(_hands gripping at his shoulders things tearing at his clothes and he's drowning falling can't bre a th e)_, but still.

And come on, it wasn't as if there was a lack of empty houses, the town was practically empty-

"-new student, Jade Harley-"

The name snaps him out of his daze. His eyes dart to the front of the classroom only to be faced with a mass of dark hair looking like it really could use a brush. Or a haircut. New student. Huh. His interest lost, he's just about to return to his daydreaming(_"I'm not daydreaming, Dave, I'm __**fantazising**__!" "Yeah, sure, whatever makes you happy") _when she turns around to face the class, answering a question he must have missed with a confident "Sure!"

Her smile is warm and her eyes are gre e n

-0-

_she fits so well by the flowers, looking almost like a fairy with her hair falling down her shoulders and dave remembers thinking that maybe this was what people meant when they said girls were pretty._

_she smiles at him and he smiles back and she grabs his hand and laughs as she pulls him along to show him whatever miraculous things she has found this time because it's always something new, with her, and dave wouldn't have it any other way,_

_always smiling at him always laughing and hugging him and bright and happy and cheerful even when saying goodbye because "they said we'll be back, so we'll be back!" _

_he can't remember her face __**why can't he remember her face **__he_

_small delicate hands pointing at the grass saying "and only the small ones have wings, see…" _

_-0-_

He returns to reality when Rose throws something at the back of his head. The new girl's standing in front of him now, pointing to the seat next to him. He's completely missed what she said but it's one of the only empty seats in the room so there isn't really much of a mystery.

"Yeah, sure," he says and she immediately sits down next to him, pulling out a brightly coloured pencil case from her bag. Dave lets his head thump down on the desk.

_What the actual fuck? _

He needed to stop with all this flashback-dreaming-without-sleeping bullshit. It's creepy as fuck and really damn annoying, not to mention the fact that it's _really_ starting to freak him out and _is he losing his mind?_ Usually it was only himself, his bro, that Jake-person and the kid with blue eyes. He'd never seen that girl before. What, so now he was randomly adding new people to the collection? _Real smooth._ No, seriously, Rose would have a fucking field day with this, nothing fascinated her more than the inside of his fucked up consciousness, she would _love_ to hear about the girl by the flowers and her stories about-

about

He couldn't remember what she was talking about, but it felt important, he should try to remember, he should-

The new girl(_Jade_, he reminds himself and pushes away the feeling of recognition because _he can't deal with this shit right now_) is looking at him oddly and he realizes he's been staring at her for the last few minutes. Crap. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but he tears his gaze away and focuses on the teacher.

He'll figure it out. Later.

-0-

The moment class is over he starts to gather up his things, stuffing the sheets of paper he's been doodling all over back into his bags, doing his best to get out of there before the new girl finds the time to question him.

He grabs his bag, starts walking-

-and sees Rose's face. He knows that expression. It's the one that always ends with hours of interrogation(and one particularly memorable time a few sessions with an actual therapist. He still can't believe she got Roxy to agree to that). _Nope._

This is obviously a moment of choosing the lesser of two evils.

He turns to Jade.

"So," he says desperately hoping he sounds nonchalant and normal and that the _please save me from my sister __**please**_ thoughts running through his head isn't visible on his face, "You're. The new girl."

"Yep!" she answers, not missing a beat, "and _you_," she crosses her arms over her chest, "is the guy who spent the first half of the lesson staring at me."

Crap. Does this situation warrant an 'out of the ashes into the fire' or not? He risks a glance back at Rose. Nope, 'lesser of two evils' still applies.

"Er. Yeah. Sorry 'bout that, I s'pose. Thought I recognized you from somewhere."

That's technically not a lie, seeing as she _did_ trigger another fucking flashback and _why can't he remember their faces, seriously, fuck this shit_, but a pretty lame excuse anyways.

"Oh," she says, looking puzzled and a little… sad? What, did she _hope_ he'd been staring at her because he found her attractive? Was she into the whole stalkery-twilighty-thing? Because yeah, that was kinda weird and stuff but hey people like what they like, he's not judging, she probably has perfectly good reasons to do so-

It's only when she starts giggling he realizes he said all that aloud. It's only his impeccable self control(shut up) that stops him from face palming.

"I have _got_ to stop doing that."

"Not really," she says, trying to stifle her laughter, "it's kind of entertaining. Mr Strider, you may consider yourself forgiven-"

"How generous."

"-but, um…" She bites her lip and looks slightly awkward. "Twilighty-thing?"

He groans. "Yes, I've seen Twilight, shut _up_, it wasn't for me, it was for my sister-" or so he'll claim until the day he dies- "and besides, it-"

"No," she interrupts him, "I mean… What's Twilight?"

He stops walking. "_Seriously? _Did you just ask me what Twilight is?

"Yes?"

"Wow. How have you _not_ heard about Twilight? It's _everywhere_, spreading like the flu in a kindergarten-"

"Okay, okay, I get it! I'm kind of behind on my pop culture, jeez!" She shrugged. "My family's kind of odd and we've been moving around a lot lately! Haven't had that much time to watch – what is it even, a movie?"

"Close enough." They walk in silence for a while. She'd averted her eyes when she mentioned her family – Rose'd have jumped on the chance to find out her secrets, but Dave knew what it was like to have people ask too many questions. If she didn't wanna talk about it he'd let it be. Simple as that.

"So," he says after a while, "Where'd you move in?"

The question makes her blink and tear her gaze away from the wall a few meters away, and for a second she looks disoriented. "Oh. Um! Not too far from here, it's just… To the left by the library, and then over the bridge and a bit beside the meadow…" Her voice trails off and she makes a vague wave with her hand, but the description has Dave's mind reeling.

"Maple Street?" he asks, trying not to sound too interested or distraught. That'd mean-

"Yeah," she says. "Number three!"

-that she lives next to where he and bro used to.

Fuck.

There's no reason why that should be connected to anything, he shouldn't care, but he can't quite control his thoughts and they are running away from him real quick right now and a distraction couldn't be more welcome-

"Um. Just wondering. Do you live there too?"

-that was a really bad distraction.

"Nah. Used to, though." His mouth snaps shut, and that really ought to be a clear enough indication that _he doesn't want to talk about this right now_ but apparently she can't take a clue as well as he can, so she just plows on forward.

"Why'd you move?"

"Would be kinda difficult to take care of the place myself, y'know?" He throws her a look. The confusion is apparent in her eyes and he can't help but take pity on her. "My bro died. So I moved in with an aunt."

"Your-" she starts and then she blinks. "Oh. _Oh._" Her eyes fill up with tears and Dave suppresses a groan. _Please don't start crying, please don't start crying, just let it go, damn it_ and maybe for once someone actually hears him, because all she does is take a deep breath and close her eyes for a while.

"I'm sorry," she says, and normally that'd piss him off because _no, you're not helping, you didn't even __**know him**__ so just __**fuck off**_ but she sounds so sincere and just this once he might actually believe she means it, "I'm really, really sorry."

"Yeah. Me too."

She only hesitates for a second before reaching out to hug him, hard and quick.

They keep walking in silence for a while. She doesn't try to re-start the conversation, and he gets the feeling that she's giving him time.

Not _that_ clueless, then.

"What's your next class?"

"Um." She picks up her schedule and tries to look at it, but Dave snatches it out of her hand before she manages to read the unnecessarily small font(whoever made those things should get fired) and takes a quick glance.

"Great," he proclaims," we've almost got the same schedule. Come on Harley, let me show you how things work around here."

He spends the rest of the day showing her around – tells her where to go and where to stay away from, where to find some peace and quiet, which teachers will let you get away with talking in class and which ones you ought to just sit down and shut up with. She's a good listener, but sometimes she'll drift away into some kind of dreamworld and spend minutes staring off into space for absolutely no reason.

She's actually kind of sweet. He learns that she lives with her older cousins and an older brother, and that she's actually one year younger than him, but started school one year too early for reasons she clumsily slides by. They talk about everything and nothing, and he makes her laugh and she makes him smile. Kind of.

Every time he turns around Rose is silently watching him from the other side of the room. He swears Roxy's taught her ninja-ing or something. Damn them both.

She asks him about her, about Roxy(and she looks strangely nostalgic all the way through, a hint of sadness in her eyes and compassion in her smile, but no pity nowhere so it's all good) and his life. His favourite colour("red, obviously, are you blind, Harley, and that's like the lamest question ever, do you think we're in preschool or something-" "jeez, dave, don't be such a jerk!"), why he hasn't taken his shades off yet("what? the shades never come off, stuck to my face," and she looks somehow relieved by the answer and he thinks _what the fuck_ but then she changes the subject and he forgets) and he responds with questions about what's up with her necklace(she fingers the odd pendant hanging around her neck, cords of some kind of thread twisted around each other creating a strange and captivated pattern before hiding it under her shirt saying "it's a family thing, for protection) and why she keeps squinting when she looks at things(she laughs and seems embarrassed, telling him that she usually wears glasses, but that she somehow managed to leave them at home when she left for school) and things are actually going really well.

She asks him if he believes in fairytales. At first he thinks she's joking, but then he sees her face and shit, she's actually _serious_, isn't she, this _fifteen year old girl _is asking him _if he believes in fairytales_ and there really is no other way to answer that than to give her a flat no and a short headshake.

(then he remembers what he sees every time he shuts his eyes and the voices and faces in his dreams and quietly thinks that maybe, just maybe, he should.)

The last thing she asks before they have to part to head home(he actually does ask her to come with him to his place, it really isn't his style to invite people over but _Rose_, he really needs a human shield right now and he knows she'd never go near the subject with others nearby but Jade replies that she needs to help her family properly unpack) is, strangely enough, when his birthday is.

"I thought we'd left the preschool questions behind us by now, Jade, what happened?" he asks jokingly, trying to make her smile but she just rolls her eyes and, now that he thinks about it, she looks kinda tense.

"Come on, Dave! I just wanna know if I'll have to rush to get you a gift or something, you never know, it could be tomorrow for all I know!"

"Close enough. Only a couple of days off, there. Three days. Sweet sixteen and all that jazz."

She tenses up even more, and, yep, that's definitely more than just a _hint_ of worry in there, but before he has the time to ask what's wrong she forces out a laugh that really doesn't sound genuine and mumbles something about how she should be getting a move on and runs off.

There've been so many 'what the _fuck_'-moments today he doesn't even have the energy to react.

He turns around only to find Rose waiting for him.

"Fuck," he says.

"Language, brother," she replies breezily. She gestures for him to follow her and he does without thinking twice about it. "Was it another flashback?"

"Was what another flashback?" She gives him a _look_ before answering.

"Stop stalling, Dave. We _are _talking about this, whether you like it or not."

He doesn't even try to suppress his groan. "There's nothing to talk about, Rose. Still don't know what they are, still can't remember shit-"

"Still having nightmares?"

"-still, yeah, that, but it's cool, I can handle it. Seriously, Rose. I'm fine."

She ignores the last part. "They're getting worse, Dave. You've had, what, three _this week_?"

_More like three this morning_, he thinks to himself, but keeps his pokerface and nods. She gets too worried. He's _fine_, he really is, he just. Can't remember. He stares down at his feet as they keep walking.

It doesn't take long for her to break the silence. "What did you see this time?"

"A girl." There's no use lying to her. She's always been good at seeing when he's telling the truth or not. A bit less good at knowing when he's hiding away information, but hey, no one's perfect.

"Not the boy in blue again?"

"Nope. No sign of him."

"Hm." She looks thoughtful, but when he asks her what she thinks she just shakes her head. "I'm not sure. It's just… odd."

He can't help but agree. The boy with blue eyes has been in, like, every single dream and flashback since he started having them(Rose had _so_ much fun with that one in the beginning, holy shit), and him not being there is… rather disorienting.

"We need to find someone who can help."

Dave shoots her a glare. "What? _No. _I don't want people messing around with my brain. You're bad enough, not dealing with any more of them."

She glares right back at him. "I'm starting to think you don't realize how serious this is, _brother_-" she bites out and he stops walking.

"_Yes I do,_ Rose," he snaps, "and if you hadn't noticed, _I'm _the one with a fucked up memory here, so just _let it go._ Trust me, I _know_ it isn't good, but _I don't want people digging around with my memories_-" or maybe he just doesn't want to remember "-and trust me, if you try to drag me off to some stupid guy in a suit to 'talk about my feelings' again I'll move to Canada or something, _god_."

She nods silently and the tension slowly bleeds out of the hall.

"I just want to help."

"I know. But this isn't something you can help with."

They stand there for a while, watching each other in complete silence. This time Dave's the one to break it.

"I'm heading to the library for a while before going home. Wanna come?"

She shakes her head. "No. I need to speak with Mother."

He feels like slamming his head into a wall because Rose and Roxy make a killer team and he can tell by her face that she's planning something, but instead they just nod their goodbyes and walk separate ways.

If this was a movie there'd be dramatic and possibly heartbreaking background music going on until they realized how much they actually love each other and god married or some shit like that, but this isn't a movie and this doesn't even really count as a fight, so no music. Thank god.

(He still starts singing that song from Titanic at the top of his lungs until he's rewarded with the faint sound of Rose's laugh, though.)

He wasn't lying about wanting to go to the library, so he goes there and immediately heads over to the photography section. Yeah, he happens to like looking at pictures. So what? Inspirational and all that shit.

When he leaves it's dark outside. Or, well, not really _dark_-dark, but dark enough for there to be shadows and thriller-vibes. And things moving in said shadows that always disappear when he tries to focus on them.

Fuck everything.

He heads on home and nothing happens.

-0-

_From the shadows, they watch._

_"Oh come __**on**__," one of them groans, "that was a perfect opportunity! __**Anyone**__ would have taken that chance!"_

_"Shut __**up,**__ I don't __**care**__, I still have time." It sounds like he's trying to convince himself as much as he's trying to convince the other. "I still have time."_

_"Whatever you say, oh fearless leader," the other figure responds. She grins. "But you're not the only one interested in the coolkid. If you don't hurry up, you might find that the rest of us aren't __**quite**__ as patient."_

_It takes only seconds for her back to hit the wall and the cold steel to find her throat. His fingers are clenched around the handle hard enough to leave marks. Her smile only grows wider._

_"Don't you __**dare**__," he hisses._

_"Okay, I get it! I get it!" She pushes playfully at the hand holding the weapon, but he doesn't budge. "He's aaaall yours. Have fun with your little stalker routine! But don't be surprised if you wake up one day to find there's no one to stalk anymore."_

_A warning growl, and he lets her go._

_Her laugh echoes against the walls as she leaves._

_-0-_

__**AN:  
**No seriously it's not a DaveJade fic ./. Karkat will be properly introduced in the nex t chapter! (Which I am writing while waiting for this to upload properly. Ffnet what are you doing to everything stop that  
Also, is the summary REALLY showing up with the first word being AtheryseKat? PLEASE TELL ME THAT'S JUST MY COMPUTER MESSING IT UP, PLEASE

next chapter also contains a possible rating change 0:-)


	3. Chapter 2: In Which Dave Turns 16

**AN: **So I think I said Karkat would be properly introduced in this chapter. Er. He isn't really. But there is our first piece of DaveKat interaction? You'll see what I mean ;)  
Thank you so much to everyone who's favourited, followed or commented on this. You guys are awesome!  
This chapter is actually only half of what was actually meant to be chapter two, which is why it's a bit shorter. I just realised that otherwise chapter two would've been significantly longer and therefore have taken longer to WRITE, and... I couldn't resist the chance to leave you with a cliffhanger I'M SO SORRY  
Gonna answer anonymous reviews here, move on along, people...

**Guest:** Thank you so much for the concrit! At times, like in flashback/dream stuff or when I'm trying to get a feeling across, those mistakes are actually deliberate, hahaha ^^''' But I have no doubt there are plenty of mistakes I did _not_ intend to have there too, so... Yeah, I've been asking around for a beta! So far, no luck.  
**IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO BETA READ THIS STORY I WOULD BE INFINITLY GRATEFUL!**  
Okay, on with the story~

-0-

Getting used to Jade being around is really easy. She fits in with him and Rose like a missing puzzle piece, turning their duo into a trio in no time. Sitting three instead of two in the cafeteria isn't as strange as he thought it'd be.

Being the new girl, he expected her to get quite some attention, at least in the first few days, but no one tries to approach her on the second day either. Now that _is_ strange – at least until he realizes she probably destroyed whatever chance she had at being popular by spending a day with him. It's kind of hard to be one of the cool kids when no one dares to talk to you. Jade's creepy by association.

Apparently having lost a family member makes you scary and intimidating. Who knew, right? And Rose has been unapproachable since that time in third grade where she tried to hex one of her classmates.

It didn't work, obviously, but it was plenty enough to freak people out.

The final straw in making people stay away from Jade is her weird tendency to suddenly stop in the middle of a conversation to start staring at thin air, looking as if she's completely forgotten about everything. To be honest Dave finds it kinda creepy too, but, hey. He lives with Rose. He's used to it.

They get along. And if she's a bit odd at times, well… Dave really has no right to judge.

-0-

On the day of his birthday, Dave wakes up to a happy birthday card lying on his bedside table. Also, condoms, most likely courtesy of Roxy. The card is obviously Rose's, though. Too few typos for anything else.

(When they were younger, she'd spend days painstakingly preparing the 'perfect' gift for him. He _really_ doesn't want to think about what it took to make her stop.)

He actually kind of wishes this was it, but even when he got them to calm down about it, the Lalondes were _very_ into celebrating birthdays. And Roxy seemed to be completely incapable of resisting the chance to throw a party. Which means basically everyone, everywhere is invited, and they'll all come, because Roxy does not hesitate a second to serve alcohol to teenagers.

A+ parenting right there. But neither he nor Rose have ever gotten drunk anywhere that's not home, so maybe she actually knows what she's doing.

Jade sticks to him like glue when he gets to school. She seems… skitterish. Nervous. Even more hyperactive than usual.

"Happy Birthday, Dave!" she blurts out the moment she sees him and hugs him. More like a tackle, really, but the end result is her arms around his torso, so he supposes it counts anyways?

"Mornin', Harley," he says, carefully extracting himself from her grip. "What's up?"

"I've got a gift for you! Because it's your birthday! But-" and she can't seem to keep still, eyes flicking from side to side, never looking right at him, hands fluttering over his shoulders as if to brush off some dust or something, "-I can't give it to you right now! It's kind of big, and, it'd really be much better if you could come over to my house and get it!" (_"come on, dave, let's go! it's your __**birthday**__, you can't spend it holed up in here!"_)

"Er. Yeah. Sure? I mean, I'll have to be at Roxy's party, first, but, yeah, I'll be there."

"Okay! Okay, great, that's great!"

He really can't resist to ask. "Jade, are you alright? You seem kind of…" He can't find the word, so he just gestures at her.

"Yeah!" she says and her eyes meet his and she _really_ doesn't _look_ fine, but he hasn't known her long enough to say for sure, so… "Just. Um. Question! What time were you born? Like. What hour?"

He blinks(and is rather grateful she can't see it. Shades are awesome.). That's… a really weird question. But hey, it's _Jade_, she's been asking weird questions ever since she got here. He shrugs and answers.

"No clue. Ain't really the kind of thing you feel the need to keep track of, you know?"

"Okay. Ooookay. That's fine! It'll be fine, everything'll be fine-" and now it's starting to feel like she's talking to herself more than she's talking to him, but then her eyes flicker right back to his and she looks like she's close to a panic attack, "-just. Dave. _Please_ try to get there as fast as you can, okay? We'll make dinner and everything, just please _get there._"

"I. Yeah, okay." He gives her a really awkward hug and she's _shaking_, _what is going on here_, but just as he's about to ask she pulls away, gives him a shaky smile and a "Bye, Dave!" before running off, disappearing before he has the time to really react.

She doesn't turn up to any of the lessons.

Something is _definitely_ wrong here, that much if painfully clear, but Dave has _no idea_ of where to start figuring it out. After realizing that Rose is starting to look suspicious of his distraction, he pushes the issue away to the back of his mind, deciding it can wait.

He'll just ask her when he gets there.

-0-

The party is… not the greatest experience in his life. That doesn't mean Roxy isn't a good party planner, it just means that he doesn't like crowds. Not to mention the fact that none of the people who're there are actually there _for him._ They're just jumping on the opportunity to get free booze.

It's five minutes past six when he finally manages to sneak away and start making his way to Jade's. He sends her a short text message to let her know he's coming and then tucks his phone back into his pocket, ignoring the sound indicating he got an answer. He needs a break from people. The thirty minute walk to get to Maple street should be just about enough.

The silence stretching over the town is almost eerie, the evening air cool and crisp. He could've sworn it wasn't usually this dark at 6pm, though. Or this cold. He shivers and pulls the zipper on his hoodie up a bit further, wrapping his arms around himself to keep warm.

It's kind of starting to feel like he's starring in some bizarre horror movie. "Dave Strider and..." What, "The Unnatural Weather Conditions"? He snorts. Yeah, right.

If Rose was here she'd either go into a long lecture about what psychological conditions could cause a feeling of unnatural cold and ultimately come to the conclusion that he is being paranoid, or help him come up with conspiracy theories.

He kinda wishes she was.

He's just turned into an alley he remembers as a shortcut when it happens.

Everything shi f ts

It's hard to breathe, he's losing his balance, staggering against a wall, _suffocating_, and for a second he thinks _am I really going to die like this?_ but then the pressure on his chest is gone, he can breathe again, and he pushes himself off the wall, standing back up to find that nothing has changed.

Yet everything has.

The alley is still empty, he can _see_ it, but what he is seeing doesn't compute with what he's _feeling_. There's… something. Something there, and he has no idea of what it is(_"most of them are harmless, dave-"_).

His breathing and the too-loud beating of his heart is the only thing breaking the silence. He takes a hesitating step away from the wall(_"-but there are some who would like nothing better than to hurt you."_) and something slashes at the side of his neck.

He cries out, more in surprise than in pain, and instinctively flinches away, pressing a hand to his neck. When he removes it, there's blood on his sleeve.

"Fuck," he swears.

He can sense the presence behind him before it touches him, but he's only got a split second to react and all he can do is twist to the right, so that instead of being tackled head first into the wall, he only loses his breath for a few seconds, falling to the ground but getting up and immediately starting to run.

This isn't the same thing that cut him, it's bigger, stronger("_and they're faster, dave, so you have to be careful"), _and he really doesn't think he'll be able to outrun it, but _he has to try. _

It crashes into him just as he's dragged his phone out of his pocket to call for help. The phone falls out of his hand, sliding over the ground until it comes to a stop completely out of reach. Dave twists and turns and screams and tries to kick at it, but he's never been good with fighting without weapons, and it's all over in seconds. The creature pins him to the ground, something sharp – claws? – at his throat. Dave stops moving.

His assaulter doesn't really look all that dangerous, he notes absentmindedly. Except for the claws and the teeth(and the eyes which are red enough to look like they're burning, and the skin which – and it might just be the light – looks to be an ashen gray, almost black), he(at least it _looks_ like a he, but you can never be sure with these supernatural creatures) could almost pass as human.

He gives the creature a weak push, just to make sure he can't make it get off him, but all it earns him is a warning snarl and the claws pushing slightly harder, but still not breaking skin.

If there's one thing Dave's learned from strifing with his brother, it's when to give up.

With a slow exhale he relaxes, letting his body grow slack and his head roll back, baring his throat. _Come on, _he thinks, _come on, just do it, I'm not afraid of you. _He closes his eyes, because as much as he wishes he was brave enough to stare death in the face, he isn't.

He hopes Rose won't miss him too much.

The creature on top of him makes a weird choked sound at the back of his throat and Dave can't help but to tense up because this is it, _this is it, _he is sixteen years old and about to be killed by some weird vampire wannabe, but then his mouth is on Dave's neck, right over the wound, and it's _hurting, _it's _burning_ and-

and -

_oh._


	4. 3: In Which John Is A Demon Fighter

**AN: **Heeere we go. THE RATING FOR THIS CHAPTER IS RAISED TO M. Due to more than vague sexual situations. No actual sex though. _yet._  
spoiler waning karkat is not a vampire 0:-)

Once again, thank you so much to everyone adding this story to their favourites/subscriptions! :D I'm really glad you're liking it so far! Now if we could just... kinda... *pokes review button*  
Also, while I have parts of this story planned out(Beginning, which we're already past, and ending), there are A LOT of things that could happen in between. Anything you'd like to see? :P

On with the story!

The burning sensation is spreading through is body and he's gasping for air, but somehow his shaky breaths turn into moans and he's writing on the ground, filled with a _need_ for contact, for friction, for _something_, his hips hitching upwards and his back arching towards heat and power but he can't move can't reach because he's being held down and the thing's still got his mouth on Dave's neck, the spot of contact creating a focus for the feeling leaving Dave unsure of if he wants to push away or get closer.

He _really_ shouldn't be this turned on by the situation.

It feels like minutes, Dave growing more and more desperate to _get up, get off the ground, just get out of his god damned clothes already_ but it's probably no more than seconds, and when the creature above him wrenches his mouth away, looking as if doing so is physically painful, Dave actually _whimpers_, clawing at the ground to not lose his mind completely, the body above him shuddering in response.

He collapses on top of Dave, neither one of them speaking, Dave's head still spinning and both of them breathing heavily, and then

there is peace.

They lie there in silence, their heart beats slowly synchronizing. No one moves. Normally Dave would be freaking out, would be asking questions, but whatever just happened has left him drained and exhausted and more than anything unwilling to break off the moment.

After that, a few things happen in very quick succession.

Someone rushes into the alley, breaking any remaining resemblance of piece with a high-pitched shriek.

"_Dave!_" He looks up to see Jade standing there, eyes wide open and her entire stance screaming _danger, get away._ She looks terrified.

Behind her stands (_a boy with blue eyes and a wide grin, a man in green and a little girl, a woman in bright blue speaking to his brother, "there are things in this world which we cannot understand. that most people live their lives without even seeing. we have reason to believe he won't be that lucky" _

_endless strifes with his brother, because he needs to be faster needs to be stronger even if no one will tell him why_

_voices whispering behind closed doors, "we'll charm them for him. as long as he's wearing them, he shouldn't be able to see them. and as long as __**he **__can't see __**them…**__"_

_his bro's frustrated face, slamming his fist into the door. "so what do you __**do**__, then, to 'make things better'? why are you __**here**__?"_

_a determined look, a man refusing to back down, a woman ready to do anything to protect what she loves. "We fight them."_

_a friend when he was little, a boy he would always play with because he would show him how to make the things he saw go away, he could make them disappear, he could make it better, he_

_a boy named- ) _"-John."

Dave's voice is barely more than a whisper, but apparently it's enough, because the blue-eyed boy(_John, John, John_) sees him immediately, eyes widening behind thick glasses in a way that would've been comical if it hadn't been followed by a snarled out "Get _off_ him" and him rushing towards Dave – towards the thing holding him down – wielding a huge hammer Dave hadn't even noticed he had.

The thing leaps off him, breath Dave didn't know he'd lost being returned to him and his head clearing a bit, though not enough for him to be able to sit up. Apparently he's not meant to, anyways, because Jade runs to him and lays a hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be fine, Dave, just stay down, John'll fix it, we'll be fine-" and then he tunes out and turns his attention to the fight.

The dark skinned boy is losing, John's every attack getting closer to hitting, his sickles(which he _too_ seemed to have gotten out of nowhere, Dave's kinda feeling like he's left out of a cool secret or something by now) not offering any protection against John's strength. He's faster and lighter, and if it'd have been a running competition there wouldn't _be_ any competition, he'd win in no time, but now… John's got the upper hand.

Dave isn't sure who he's rooting for.

Jade is frantically checking him over, gasping when she reaches his neck, and he wants to say _what, it's just a scratch, it can't even be bleeding anymore_ but he gets distracted by another humanoid-vampire-alien-whatever-thing joining the battle, face covered in some kind of white paint and a close to manical grin stretching across his face.

He goes straight for John, weird club things on the ready, the other thing stepping out of the way without missing a beat, as if this is something they've been doing often.

"Gamzee," he snaps, "_Don't kill him._"

John's face contorts into something resembling confusion but quickly returns to barely contained anger as he – Gamzee – manages to disarm him and press him up against the wall, John twisting to get away but not succeeding to do much of anything.

Jade swears beside him and Dave turns his gaze to her only to find she's pulled out a gun _out of nowhere, _seriously, this is _so unfair_, pointing it at the thing he still doesn't know the name of.

"Don't _move_," she says frantically and her hands are steady but her voice is shaking, "_Not a step closer_!"

She staggers to her feet, eyes wild and angry, gun not wavering from its mark, and Dave thinks she's _really going to shoot him_, but then she turns her gaze upwards and _screams_.

John's attempts to escape become more violent, kicking at Gamzee's legs and there's a hint of _desperation _in his eyes and when he screams it's filled with panic and anger.

"_Jade! Go!" _

She staggers backwards, accidentally slamming her foot into the side of Dave's face, knocking his shades off. They clatter to the ground beside him.

"You idiot, don't _leave _him there," comes a growl from his left and when Dave looks up he understands what got everyone into such a panic.

It's huge, almost completely covering the air above them, thousands of smaller shapes twisting around each other, creating something resembling a bee swarm, if a bee swarm had(_fingers with claws and wings beating too fast) _arms and faces that are anything but human(_teeth tearing at his skin and clothes, dave screaming as they try to tear him apart piece by piece)_

he can't breathe

there's an inhuman noise coming from it, voices shrieking in agony, a buzzing that tears straight into his brain, paralyzing him

he can't _move _

he can't move he can't breathe he can't scream all he can do is _lie_ there as it comes closer and everything that happened before was nothing compared to this, nothing compared to lying here and _waiting_

looking at it as it reaches for his head laying a claw against his cheek slowly dragging it across his face down towards his neck-

And then the dark skinned boy is there in front of him, pushing himself in between Dave and the _thing_, slashing out with his claws and snarling in its face.

"_Mine,_" he bites out. There is a staring match, a moment of breathtaking tension, and then it _leaves_, relief instantly flooding through Dave's body. He exhales shakily, slowly allowing himself to relax just the tiniest bit, eyes fluttering closed.

There is a low thud as the boy slumps to the ground beside him. Dave opens his eyes again to find that he's breathing heavily, chest heaving. He's cradling the hand he used to attack the _thing_ with close to his body. Dave thinks it might be broken.

Their eyes meet.

And _once again_ it's Jade's voice ruining the peace, what is even up with that, can't he get just _one second_ where people aren't freaking out all around him, screaming "Get away from him!" while running towards them, gun forgotten on the ground.

The boy doesn't even spare her a look, he just snaps "Sollux" in a way that makes it sound like an order, and within seconds a third gray skinned thing has come out from the shadows, holding Jade away from them with some kind of blue-red energy thing.

"Get here sooner next time, you piece of shit," says the boy.

"Whatever you say, KK," Sollux answers, a weird distortions to his s's that's kind of a lisp but kind of not.

Dave's pretty sure "KK" is not an actual name, but hey, the others didn't really sound like names either and he's getting sick of thinking of him as 'the creature', so whatever. KK reaches down to him, ignoring John and Jade's muffled protests, helping Dave sit up with his unharmed hand.

"Are you okay?" he asks. The concern in his voice sounds strange when paired together with the teeth and the claws, but…

"Yeah," he answers. "I'm fine."

He's just about to start asking questions, most likely starting with _what the fuck is going on_, when the cut on his cheek stings and starts bleeding. "You have _got _to be kidding me," he groans, but when he looks back up he freezes.

The tension in the air is overwhelming. Everyone has stopped moving, every pair of eyes focused on Dave. Jade looks like she's going to start crying. Gamzee and Sollux look more like it's hard not to drop everything and run over to slit his throat open.

"Oh, fuck," whispers KK, low enough for only Dave to hear it, and then he tilts his face closer.

The scene explodes in noise. John and Jade are yelling at him to _no, stop, don't touch him, __**stop**__, run, dave, __**run**_ and Dave really doesn't understand, and then KK raises his voice and says "Sollux, you know what to do."

Then he puts his tongue to Dave's cheek. He's licking over the cut, doing _something_, and John and Jade are _screaming_ and Dave is burning again, but it's the same burn as before and he doesn't even care that there are four other people _right there_ because he _needs_ this.

KK is holding him still again and Dave swears in between the gasps as he writhes against the wall, just wanting to get _closer_, and it's all too much but still not enough, and suddenly they're kissing, desperately moving against each other and Dave is pretty sure that if they keep this up he's going to come in his pants but he really doesn't give a shit.

Sollux doesn't raise his voice. He doesn't use the weird energy thingie. He doesn't even _move_. All he does is say "Karkat," and it sounds like a warning but not a very serious one, and KK – _Karkat_ – still _draws back _from him, Dave wanting to scream at the loss.

Karkat doesn't even turn around to look at John and Jade. He just gives Dave one last, burning look before turning away.

"Protect him better, you fucking idiots," he says, and then "Sollux. Gamzee. Let's go."

And then they're gone.

As he lies there on the ground, fighting to get his breathing back to normal, struggling to keep his thoughts coherent, he absentmindedly catalogues a very simple fact.

The wounds on his neck and cheek are completely healed.


	5. 4: In Which There Is Much Explaining

**HEY GUESS WHAT**

**SCHOOL HAPPENED  
**Anyways, I'm back again! Though I might not be able to keep my old updating schedule. Really sorry about that - also, a question for you guys! What would you prefer - that I post chapters as soon as I finish them, or that I kinda pile them up? Aka would you like a regular, but slow, updating schedule or a really sporadic sometimes-even-sometimes-not where everything is just random? Your choice!

I really disliked writing this chapter. I rewrote the ending like ten times and I'm _still_ not happy with it. It was also supposed to be so much longer, uuughhhhh. Anyways! Explanations be here. And in next chapter. And in the one after that. I think we've got at least 3k more words to write before I can go back to writing more action and less revealing dialogue, sobs.

Please review? I am so grateful to everyone who does, and, yeah. Not gonna lie. Reviews _are_ what pushes this story forward. They are a wonderful motivator and I love you all uvu

Here goes!

-0-

They sit in silence, Dave still slumped against the wall, Jade and John crouching down next to him. Their eyes are worried, wary, as if they don't know what he will do.

Damn right they don't, _he_ doesn't even know.

But he remembers now.

-0-

_They moved there in early spring. Dave remembers the truck parked on the street outside, the boxes littering the side walk, the way they moved around each other, coordinated without having to say a word. He remembers seeing a weapon, a gun, and thinking that maybe they were bad guys, or maybe they were heroes, and then spying on them for several days before actually seeing._

_It was Jade who broke their secret, she who had been so small then(is still small, a year is a long time when you're young and adventurous). He'd seen her running over the meadows, sneaking into the forests, playing by the water, always followed by a big white animal Dave thought was a wolf._

_He was also pretty sure it was one of his imaginary friends(that was what bro called them!) because no one else ever seemed to react. _

_But Jade could __**see**__ it. She could see it and play with it and she __**petted**__ it, like, __**all the time**__, and no one __**ever**__ saw Dave's imaginary friends. Because they were __**imaginary**__. Even when they scratched him or tripped him or __**hurt**__ him, even when they left clearly visible marks, they were imaginary. Because no one but him ever saw them. Because fairies aren't real._

_When he was with them, they were._

_-0-_

His shades are still lying on the ground, but he doesn't make a single move to pick them up. He can see now – things hiding in the shadows, flying above the roofs, looming in the corners or lurking under the window panes. So many different creatures, all long limbs and fluttery wings and sharp teeth and hisses and growls.

They're _everywhere_. Just like they always used to be.

-0-

_John was the first person to ever be able to make them disappear. They were afraid of him, somehow, and Dave used it to his advantage as much as possible, always following John around even though John was two years older and a lifetime wiser. _

_John protected him, even if he didn't know it at first. _

_He remembers the day they realized Dave could see things too, remembers the mixed reactions, the joy from Jade and hesitating smile from John and the worry and concern from Jake and Jane. Remembers when they tried to tell bro and it took them days to convince him, and how, the moment he realized it was true, he started teaching Dave how to take care of himself(in secret, because secret weapons are good weapons and Dave would need the very best)._

_-0-_

There are too many things, too much to remember, and it's all so confusing, all so long ago and he was young and stupid and never **understood**, never paid attention to the important parts so now there are so many questions to be asked and so many answers to be given.

His head should be spinning and his heart should be pounding, but his thoughts are clearer than they've been in ages. It's as if he's lived his life seeing through dirty windows and now someone's cleaned them, and even if it's slightly overwhelming it's a thousand times better than before. As if he can see the wind, feel the earth slowly moving and hear the sound of John and Jade's heart beats without any effort.

He feels so _alive_.

He'd revel in the feeling for a while, but he really doesn't have time for that shit.

"You've got some explaining to do," he says, and they both flinch. "Where the fuck have you _been_, John?"

John's face twists into surprise. "You remember?"

"Bits and pieces. Didn't until now." He gestures at his shades. "Guessing those had something to do with that, huh."

Jade squirms, looking very uncomfortable. "We're really sorry, Dave!" she says. "But you were safer this way!"

He just stares at her. "Sure I was, Harley. This definitely looks like _safe, _doesn't it? Now, seriously, _explain what the fuck is going on here_."

She shares a look with John and takes a shaky breath before nodding. "Alright. But not here. Come on, we're going back to our place."

They both stand up and John extends his arm towards Dave, helping him up from the ground. Dave pauses. There's something he definitely ought to do before following them.

He picks his phone up from his pocket, swift fingers dialing Rose's number. "_Dave!_" Jade hisses. "What are you _doing_, you can't-"

"Yes I can, Harley," he smoothly interrupts. "Not doing this on my own. Don't worry, Rose is smart, you'll like her." _Or not._ Didn't really matter. He wanted her there, so she'd be there.

"Dave?" Rose sounds confused. Oh. Right. He hadn't told her he left. Well, wouldn't _that_ be awkward to explain.

"Sup, Rose. Listen, I kinda need your help for a while. Can you get out of there?"

"Dave, I hardly think this is the right time. You know Mother hates it when you sneak out, and-"

"Rose. _Please_. I'll explain everything later, okay? It's important."

There is a brief pause, and Dave wonders if she's biting her nails again. She does when she's nervous or conflicted. If she is, she doesn't show it, because when she answers her voice is calm and collected.

"Alright, then. I suppose I could do my best to escape unnoticed. Where are you?"

"Doesn't matter. Meet me at Maple Street?"

There is no way she doesn't remember the name, and this time the pause is slightly longer, and when she replies her voice has softened.

"Dave, are you alright?"

He hesitates before answering. "As alright as I can reasonably be expected to be given the circumstances. Hurry?"

"I will."

He hangs up and turns back to Jade and John, bracing himself for the return to his past home. He hasn't been there since the crash.

"Lead the way."

The house looks just like he remembers it. Old and weather-worn, blue paint peeling from the walls. He remembers helping them paint it, sitting on top of bro's shoulders in order to reach high enough. The only thing different is the state of the garden. Years of mismanagement have left it overgrown, more weeds than flowers, looking more like a jungle than an actual garden.

It feels odd, to see it again after all this time.

Rose meets them right outside the gates. If she's surprised to see who he's with, she doesn't show it.

They sit down around the kitchen table, Rose immediately grabbing the seat next to Dave. She gives Jade a court nod and John a long, icy stare. Understandable. She's never seen him before, and Dave calling her like that is really, _really_ rare. Like. Happens just about as often as Roxy is sober. Which is never.

John gives her a nervous look and takes a small step back. "Um." he says. "I'll just. Call Jane and Jake. Jade, explain to them for me?"

His voice has turned pleading by the end, and the look Jade gives him just spells out "traitor" as clear as anything. John just smiles at her, shots Rose another nervous glance and quickly leaves the room. Jade turns to them, fidgeting in her seat. "So," she begins, then pauses. "Um!"

She bites her lip and looks away from them. Dave can see Rose fighting not to roll her eyes at the display of embarrassment. "Just tell us what's going on, Jade."

"Yeah, of course! I. Just don't know where to start?" She laughs as ducks her head down and this time Rose's hand actually _twitches_. Dave's not sure if it's for a slap or a facepalm, but he can't help but smirk anyway.

"How bout this, Harley," he says, discretely grabbing Rose's hand. "Start by telling us what the fuck that _thing_ back there was, and we'll move on to _why you didn't warn us_ after that." Rose glances at him with something akin to curiosity and Dave suddenly remembers that she wasn't actually _there_. And that she might not have seen anything even if she was. Oh well. He turns his attention back to Jade.

She inhales deeply as if to calm herself and he can see how tense she is and normally that'd make him back off a bit, but right now he needs _answers_. "Okay. Okay, yeah, I can do that. Um." She twists her hands in her lap, throws one last glance over to the door John left through, straightens her back and begins.

"That _thing_," and a shiver goes through her body, "was a demon. Um. There are quite many of them, really! Different kinds and everything. Humanoids – like the first one, Dave, those are _dangerous_ and you _need to stay away from them_ – and pixies – those can rarely do much harm, since they're so small, and they're really easy to get rid off, but they can get really annoying at times – and then there are the. Um. Yeah. There are lots of kinds! I just… haven't really learned all of them, yet. I'm still in training."

She looks down at her feet at goes silent. Rose is the one to break it, her cool façade still in place. She is _really_ good at that. Even able to best him sometimes.

"I believe I am missing a few pieces of key information here, Dave, Jade. What exactly happened earlier? And _why_," her voice goes even icier, "are we talking about occult phenomena as if they were real? Dave, if this is some kind of practical joke-"

"It isn't, Rose," he interjects. "You know I'd never take it this far. It's real."

She is visibly shaken, but only gives a court nod to confirm she's understood. Dave can't help a small surge of pride. Rose is _awesome._

"As for what happened... " He thinks back to the demons – _Karkat's_ – weight on top of him and the heat surging to his body and if he was anyone else he would have blushed, but as it is, he just finds himself intensely wishing for his shades. "Let's just break it down to 'there was a demon attack and shit got fucked up', yeah?"

She looks at him for a long moment, curiosity evident in her eyes. _I'll tell you later_, he thinks, and she nods, still impossibly good at reading him.

"Okay. Jade, if you could please continue? You said you were training for something. For what?"

"Oh! Yeah. We're exorcists, see? John and me, and Jane and Jake! Jane and Jake are our kind-of parents. I've never really understood how we're related, but they've taken care of us since we were little! They fight demons. Keeps them from hurting people, place out protective charms, kill those too powerful to be harmless – that kind of stuff! The world kinda needs us, since most people can't normally even _see_ them. That's good in a way, though, since it means less panicking, but it's also really bad, because everyone is left defenseless! So. We defend those who can't defend themselves, and-"

A hand lands on her head, ruffling her hair, and John pulls out the seat next to her. "Jade, you're rambling," he says, giving her a fond glance. She smiles at him and mimics zipping her lips shut. John looks over at him and Rose – and his smile gets a nervous edge the moment he does – before picking the thread up where Jade left it.

"Basically, what she's trying to say is that we live our lives preventing creatures like them from hurting civilians. Like Dave. Or you."

Dave can't help but snort. "Yeah, you did a great job on that one."

John flinches at the remark. "I'm sorry, Dave. We didn't – we thought we'd have more time, before…"

"Before what?" Rose's tone is still icy cool, but she's squeezing his hand hard enough to hurt. John breaks eye contact, looking guilty and conflicted.

"Before Dave turned sixteen. It's… " He looks at Jade helplessly before turning back, speaking only to Dave. "It's why you've been able to see them, Dave. There's something… about you, about your blood that they want. Some kind of kill-you-get-immortality-slash-endless-power thing. We don't really know much about it. That's why we left, to find out more! We've never seen anything like this before. Jane and Jake are still out there looking for more information. They probably won't be able to get here for another week, at least. We're on our own until then."

"And you couldn't have thought to _tell me?_"

"We didn't think we'd _have to_! Your shades, they're charmed-" and yeah, he'd figured as much, "-they were supposed to keep you safe from the smaller ones! And the bigger ones had never shown any interest, so we thought it'd be fine, but then Jane learned that it doesn't fully activate until you turn sixteen, and-"

"-and by then it was already too late," Rose cuts in, nodding thoughtfully. Dave is losing his cool so badly. His mind is spinning, connecting all the loose endings into each other but no matter what he seems to end up with pieces that _just don't fit _and he-

There is a sharp flash of pain from his neck and he swears as his hand flies up to cover it. The skin is perfectly smooth, not a single hint of a scratch, but it feels warmer than the rest of his body. As if something is moving under his skin, a kind of _pull_, and-

Rose's cool fingers against his forehead is what brings him back to reality. She is looking at him with unmasked concern, and Dave realizes that he must've been zoning out. Or, well. Almost gone in to a panic attack. Jade and John aren't looking very happy either, fidgeting in their seats as if they can't decide what to do.

_He needs answers._

"What did he do to me?"

Jade's voice is hesitant, almost fragile when she answers, staring at the hickey on Dave's neck.

"It marked you."


	6. 5:In Which Rose gives bad advice

**AN: **Guys. guys i love you. _There are 25 people following this story I'm going to scream_

anjf gksgl you are all beautiful people and i love you so much

I'm sorry for taking so long; I blame school. For everything. School is the root of evil.

if i haven't answered your comment i am really sorry and trust me it was a mistaaaake  
i probably thought i'd already answered it because i can't keep track of  
well  
anything

anyways here goes the chapter! hope you enjoy.  
just... one... more... and then i can go back to not writing revealing dialogue sobs

-0-

When they leave, they have answers. Things are slightly clearer, but a whole lot more complicated. The mark isn't permanent, they said, but that doesn't make it any less important.

_"It's like… a connection," John had said, looking anywhere but Dave. "It'll be able to sense you, kind of. Or, well, they could do **that** all along, sense you, but it'll be much **easier** for the one who marked you. The mark is a… claim, I suppose. An ownership tag." _

_Dave had just stared and then asked, completely deadpan, "Are you saying he **collared** me?" Rose had stifled a giggle and hid her smile behind her hand at the way the word made John squirm. _

_"Um. Yes? But it's okay, Dave," he hastened to reassure him, "it'll go away in a week or so! And Jade or I will be with you at any point of the day. We won't leave you alone. He won't be able to get to you!"_

_Rose was the one to ask the question burning on Dave's mind. "Why exactly would it be such a terrible thing for Dave to be alone with him? They've already spent time one on one, and Dave seems to be relatively fine. I understand that it's not something to be wished for, but…"_

_"They're **monsters**, Rose," Jade had answered, any warmth completely gone from her voice. "We **can't** let it near him. Dave's blood is – it's like a **drug** to them, to **it. **It'd **kill him** and it wouldn't feel any regret. A single drop would be enough, it wouldn't be able to stop itself." _

_"But he **did** stop," Dave couldn't help but remark. "Right after… everything. The cut on my cheek, he just… healed it."_

_"**It**," Jade had said harshly, "had help. If it wasn't for that other troll telling it to stop, it wouldn't have been able to control itself."_

_Dave remembered the time before John and Jade had gotten there and let himself feel doubt._

He can still feel the strange pull under his skin, wanting him to leave Rose – and Jade, who'd insisted on following them home, because "just think of what happened last time, dave, _we're not letting you get hurt_" – and run, far, far away. It's… disorienting.

What is even more disorienting is being able to _see_ again. They really are _everywhere_, the demons, small ones and big ones and things that could almost have been **human** if it wasn't for a strangely angled spine or a much too sharp smile. Rose had asked John and Jade to help her see – they'd told her no, that it wasn't necessary, that she'd just be drawing attention to herself if she did, that it was just _too dangerous_ and she'd nodded and told them she understood, but Dave knew what Rose looked like when she'd given something up and this wasn't it.

She'll find a way around it. She always does.

The walk home is pretty uneventful, neither Dave nor Rose having anything they could say to each other while Jade still was there and Jade herself checking her phone every few seconds for some reason.

They're only a couple of minutes away from their house when it happens. There is a flash of colour, a whoosh of wind and a girl whirls out from an alleyway, cutting off their path. She's dressed in _orange_ for some incomprehensive reason, dark hair even more unruly than Jade's tumbling down her back and _wings_, big blue wings fluttering behind her. There are sparks of blue glitter-dust floating around everywhere. As if that wasn't enough to clue him in that she isn't _human_, her skin is the same ashen gray he saw on the others.

The corners of her mouth pull up in a smirk and it's _harsh_, somehow, harsh and cold and mocking all at once. Rose takes a step back and Dave instinctively reaches for a weapon he hasn't carried with him since he was thirteen, but she just laughs and looks over at Jade.

"So," she says, "_this_ is the wonderboy?" She steps closer to Dave but stops when she hears the audible click of Jade's rifle.

"Vriska," Jade bites out, almost _snarls_, and the strange girl laughs and takes a step back.

"Rel_ax_, Harley," she says, dragging out the word in a way that's almost comical. "I'm just a little curious, what's the harm? Don't you _trust_ me?"

"You know I don't."

Vriska just keeps smirking and shrugs in a way that makes it obvious that that was exactly the answer she'd have expected. She turns her attention back to Dave, but keeps her distance this time, looking him up and down as if he's some zoo animal rather than an actual person. It takes every ounce of self control he's got not to squirm or look away. Instead, he meets her gaze dead-on, and her smirk grows even wider. Then she catches sight of Dave's neck and freezes up for a split second, before dissolving into disbelieving laughter.

"No fucking _way_", she wheezes. "He _marked _you? _Karkat?_ Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me!" Dave can't help but to glare at her as she wipes fake tears away from her eyes. "What the fuck did Terezi do, threaten him?"

Dave frowns. "Who the hell is Terezi-" he starts, but Jade cuts him off with a sharp "Dave, _don't._" He looks over towards her, but she's too trying to stab Vriska with her eyes to give him the time of day. A quick glance at Rose reveals she's just as perplexed as he is. When did Jade turn so hostile? Then again, Vriska _is_(or seems to be, at least, he can't remember any of the others having _wings_) a demon, and Jade obviously didn't like _them_ much.

"Vriska," she says. "If you don't leave now, _I will shoot you_."

Yeah, definitely doesn't like demons.

Vriska scoffs and rolls her eyes, but pushes off the ground and slowly starts flying in the direction they came from. "Fiiiiiiiine," she says, and then she gets an odd glint in her eyes and a strange tilt to her smile. "I was just about to leave anyways. It _has_ been a while since I paid John a visit, don't you think?"

She's gone before Dave even has the time to blink, and Jade starts swearing violently. She looks towards John and Rose with a helpless expression, obviously having some kind of argument with herself.

"I-" she says and then takes a deep breath before continuing, "I have to go. Dave, Rose, go _straight home._ Don't stop. No detours, just straight home and then _lock the door_. _That_," she says, gesturing towards the mark on Dave neck with a grimace and a wince, "will keep the small ones away, and the big ones can't enter houses. It's like in the stories, they have to be invited."

Her hand twitches helplessly by her side. "_Don't invite them, Dave,_" she says, and he thinks she might be about to start _crying_, oh god, "okay? They _can't be trusted_, not even when they look like people! Not even when they act like they like you! They're _not human_! They don't _work_ that way, loyalty isn't even a _thing_ for them, unless it's loyalty to their stupid, fucked up _traditions_!"

And yeah, she is definitely crying now. Rose takes a step forward, gingerly reaching out for her. "Jade—"

"No," she says and gathers herself. "No. I'm fine. You'll be fine, just go home. I've got to help John."

Her lips twist into a bitter smile, and then she leaves.

Dave and Rose start walking in silence. They've much to talk about, but neither of them really know where to start. Dave's trying to connect the dots, but he knows he can't do it alone. There's… too much, he supposes, too many things that may or may not be true. Too many contradictions. He glances at Rose. She always _was_ better at reading people…

"Hey," he says, and waits until he's certain he's got her attention. "Were they telling the truth, do you think? Earlier?"

He doesn't want to believe they're lying – _doesn't_ believe they're lying, because he _remembers_ them, and he _knows_ them, and _they wouldn't hurt him_ – but he can't cross out the possibility just yet.

"I believe so," Rose answers, her voice carefully neutral. "If nothing else, they were very convincing."

He nods, and stares down at the ground.

"Dave," she says, and stops. He looks at her. She looks back. It's painfully clear that she knows he's got something to say, and that they are quite definitely not moving until he's said it. He breaks before even half a minute has passed.

"There was a time before they got there. Where he – it, I don't even know anymore – I dunno, gave me this?" He holds his hand over the mark. "Something else had cut me, and he tackled me to the ground and held me down – dude's got a grip like the fuckin' hulk, Rose, I'm not even exaggerating – and he… Healed it, I suppose." He shrugs. "But that'd mean he tasted my blood back then, too, and he – he didn't _do_ anything-" and yeah, that's not _exactly_ true, but this conversation is awkward enough already, "-and he could've. No one else was around. If he wanted to kill me he could've done so right there, just ripped my throat out and _bam_, no more Dave, eternal youth or whatever officially acquired. It probably wouldn't even have been _hard_. But he… didn't."

They keep walking in silence. Dave can't keep still, hands picking at the hem of his shirt, but he keeps quiet. She's thinking.

"I suppose," she says after a while, _finally_, "that we shouldn't rule out the chance that _they_ don't know as much as they _think_ they do."

He meets her gaze. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_," she says, and oh my god is she _smiling_? There is no fucking way this will end well for him, "that John and Jade might be letting their personal experiences cloud their judgment. That they are basing their conclusions upon inadequate information." She smoothes out an inexistent crinkle on her blouse. "I mean that they think that _their_ information is the absolute truth, when really, it is just a small part of it. We don't have the full picture, Dave. In order to optimize our chances, we should make sure to acquire it."

"Oh, _great_," he says, suppressing the urge to run and hide himself in his room for the next ten years. Or twenty. "What the fuck do you suggest we do, then?"

She is definitely smiling now. Dave is absolutely terrified.

"I _suggest_," she says pointedly, and, fuck, she is enjoying this, isn't she, she is taking some kind of perverse pleasure in his agony, why does he even _like_ her, "that you learn the other side, as well."

She looks straight at him.

"I suggest you try to speak with Karkat."

Oh.


	7. 6: In Which We Learn Some More

He sits on the second floor balcony just above his room, staring out into the night. Getting everyone out of the building("Yes, mother, we're both perfectly alright, it's just been a long day and Dave really needs to relax-" and oh, she's calling it 'relax' now, how great is that "-and we'd really appreciate it if we could just call off the party a bit early" and a strange, steady stare eventually followed by a nod) had taken time, and then there was the matter of telling Roxy(not everything, not yet, but that Dave had gotten the memories back and that the boy with blue eyes was here, in town, and that he really was much too tired to explain it all right now but tomorrow, maybe?) what was going on and then convince her to just let them go to bed. Or, y'know, pretend to until she'd fallen asleep(passed out on the couch, more like).

His shades are in his lap. He won't be wearing them for a while now, he thinks. Rather he saw the things trying to kill him than be caught by surprise(and wouldn't _that_ be a lovely way to go?). He picks them up, turning them over in his palms a couple of times, thinking back on everything John and Jade had told him, everything he has learned, and then he turns around and glares at his sister.

"This is the worst idea you have ever had and I can't _believe_ I'm actually going along with it."

She stifles a small laugh and blows him a kiss. "I love you too, brother dear." Snapping the lid of a box she'd been rummaging around in shut, she stands up and tosses something at him. "Catch."

It clatters to the worn floor beside him and he picks it up almost reverently. He recognises this("_No, Dave, that's not right. You hold it like __**this**__, see and you need to __**focus, **__okay?_), has held it in his hands so many times before, so very long ago.

It's his brother's sword, and he still remembers how to use it(though he will probably need a lot of training to find his way back to the level he had before). It feels so much lighter now than when he was little.

"Rose…"

"I figured it would be… irresponsible of me to let you out there without a weapon." She shrugs, but he knows she's well aware of how much it meant to him. Means. He gives her a short nod and turns back around, once again facing the night. Squaring his shoulders, he straightens his back and neck. He's ready(no he isn't. but there really isn't any other choice.).

"Are you going to stay?" Even though he can't see her, he knows she'll nod.

"In a way. I'll wait inside. If you need me – need _anything_ – you call, and I should be able to hear you, but your conversation will be… private. Jade said they couldn't enter houses without invitation. _Don't invite him._"

He rolls his eyes. "I'm not stupid, Rose."

"I know." A small pause, and he hears her step across the floor, sliding the glass door open. "Good luck, Dave."

And then she's gone.

He stands there, just breathing, for a long while, and then he realises he has no idea where to go from here. Like. How do you summon a humanoid-demon-thing-who-even-cares who's pretty damn likely to just kill you on sight? Should he cite an incantation or something? Draw a pentagram?

They _really_ didn't think this trough, did they.

"Hey," he calls out, feeling pretty damn stupid, but it's worth a shot, right? "Karkat, you out there? Karkat, KK, karkitten, c'mon, don't leave me hanging here, demon boy…"

He stops. Waits.

Yeah, no, that didn't work. The embarrassment levels are through the roofs, shooting up towards the stars. And eventual space stations and shit.

"Well, fuck." He groans and tilts his head back, closing his eyes to just _focus. _There's got to be a way. The link is still pulling at him – John and Jade said it'd help Karkat… sense him? Yeah, that. So… Telepathic connection? Would thinking of him really hard work?

He thinks back to the fight and the boy and the, er, being tackled to the ground, and then the, um. Heat shots up to his cheeks and he ducks his head back down. Okay, that is officially a last minute resort _only._ God, he wishes he had his shades.

A quick glance at the garden reveals that yeah, that didn't work. Still no Karkat. No other dangers either, though, so… at least that's good?

_Focus. _

Sensing, sensing, they can _sense_ each other. Karkat knows where he is. It's just that Dave has no idea how to make the reverse true, too. Karkat can sense his location, and… and what? It wouldn't be _too _much of a leap to assume he can also sense other things about him. State of mind?

…whether or not he's injured?

…

Worth a shot? After all, Karkat _did_ seem pretty intent on protecting him(or, perhaps, keeping him alive until he can be killed properly) earlier…

It's official. He's an idiot. This is the _stupidest fucking idea_ he has ever had.

…yeah, still going through with it. God damn him and his stupid ass ideas. Cheers.

Taking a deep breath, he places the sword at the side of his wrist and _cuts_. A little pressure, and the blade slides through the skin, quickly drawing blood. He holds his arm out in front of him, adrenaline dulling the pain, and stares out at the back yard, all senses on alert. There is a whispering in the wind, a buzzing, but it feels less like Karkat and more like- like the swarm, from earlier. He fucking hopes that's not it, because god knows he could never fight that shit.

Would it even be able to enter, though?

Come to think of it, does the balcony count as inside the house? This needs to be like, investigated or something – where are the safe areas, where does he need to keep an eye out for murderous bloodsucking demons, that kind of thing. Is school safe? Do they need an invitation for that, too?

Something grabs his wrist.

"You're a fucking _idiot_," it growls, and Dave snaps back into focus just in time to stop himself from trying to fight back – the sword is still clenched in his hand, and he's close enough to use it. He could inflict heavy damage, if nothing else.

Would be kinda rude to cut the guy you intentionally summoned, though, demon or not.

"Yeah, I got that," he replies breathlessly, the corners of his lips trying to twitch into a smirk. "Worked, didn't it?"

He gets a dark glare in response. Karkat's eyes are even redder than his. It's fascinating – he's never seen that kind of colour on anyone but himself before. At long last he understands why everyone else makes such a big deal about it.

Down to business. This was his(well, close enough) home, his turf. He'd be damned if he was going to let Karkat have the upper hand, and standing this close was uncomfortably close to just that. Especially combined with the fact that Karkat quite obviously was a shitload stronger(possibly due to the whole demon thing, but still. Dave had never been able to build muscle, he was forever destined to be that pale, scrawny kid) than him. Er. At least Dave was taller? By, like, two centimetres. Bluh.

He tilts the edge of the sword a bit and presses it lightly to the side of Karkat's stomach. Not quite a threat, more like a- a warning. Yeah, a warning.

"I'd suggest you let go now," he says in a calm voice that does not at all match his actual feelings. "We need to talk, and you bet your ass it ain't gonna be like this."

The air is heavy with tension and Dave can't help holding his breath, but after a few seconds of intense staring Karkat actually listens, letting go of Dave's wrist and taking a small step back. Dave exhales, lowering the sword and his arm.

"Okay," he says. "Okay." So far, things are going pretty good. It's been, what, two minutes? and all limbs are still intact. Awesome. Now he just needs to figure out what the fuck is going on, ask some intelligent questions and hopefully get good answers. And not get killed. That would definitely be a plus. Whelp.

"Are you going to say anything else or did your stupid-ass plans only go as far as to _cut your fucking wrist open_ to see what happens? That was absolutely brilliant, by the way, there was absolutely _no chance_ of dying horribly as a result of those actions, keep this up and you'll reach 100 with no problem-"

"Hey!" Dave says indignantly. "What were we _supposed_ to do? These things don't exactly come with an instructions manual, y'know!"

"Oh, I don't know, something _less likely to get you fucking murdered?" _

Dave blinks. That right there is important somehow, something about, getting killed, about, oh, right;

"Why do you care?" Karkat gives him a baffled look which just _screams_ 'how can you even be this fucking stupid oh my god', so Dave presses on without giving him a chance to talk. "According to John and Jade, you want me dead. All of you-" he gestures towards the yard, towards nothing, towards the world "-would like nothing better than to slit my throat and drink my blood or something equally disturbing and cliché-" Karkat's eyes widen just the slightest bit and a small shudder goes through him at the mention of the whole blood thing, and _ew. _Just, ew. "-and they're _exorcists, _ they ought to know this stuff. Says it'd give you – some kind of energy, eternal life, along those lines." He shrugs nonchalantly. At least he hopes it looks nonchalant. God, he wishes he had his glasses. Couldn't he just ask for them to be de-charmed or something?

"_John and Jade_," and the words are spit out with disdain, "have now officially been confirmed to be even bigger idiots than you. _Wonderful._" He sighs, sounding really frustrated, and Dave is like, 90% sure he's-

"Dude, are you _blushing_?" and then, because no one's ever taught him to stop while he's ahead, because he has no fucking _self-preservation instinct_, "Oh my god, that's hilarious, hang on let me get my camera-"

"Shut _up. _I just don't want to be the one to explain this." He glares as if challenging Dave to say anything else, and Dave mimics zipping his lips shut. (Karkat is still totally blushing, though.)

"Okay, so, I'm going to hope that those incompetent-" he rattles off a bunch of words Dave doesn't recognise but which are probably at least half composed of swear words "-have managed to teach you at least the _basics_ of this thing and go straight to the part where I explain how awfully, indescribably wrong they are." A pause. "Well, they're technically mostly right. But still fucking wrong." Dave itches to tell him something like 'if you keep glaring like that your face'll get stuck in a frown, brighten up, kid' just to see what'd happen, but one, he's not _that_ suicidal, and two, this is good, this is progress, they're getting _answers. _

"I don't- _We_ don't, those of us who have any sort of self-control or are capable of _thinking whatsoever_, want you dead." He scoffs. "That'd be dumb. You're the-" a string of syllables Dave isn't even going to _try_ to copy, "-killing you would just be a _waste. _The weaker ones still might, seeing as they're well aware that's the best _they_ could ever hope for, but the rest of us, we're. Well." The blush is even more apparent now, blood tinting gray skin red. He seems to be fumbling for words. "Look, it doesn't even fucking _matter_, okay, so I'll just-"

"Of course it _matters. _You're talking about my _life_ here, I kinda think I have the _right to know._"

It turns into a staring match, neither one breaking eye contact, neither one of them willing to back down. There's a strange, prickling sensation by Dave's throat, right at that stupid mark.

Oh, right. That one was probably important, too.

"You left this," he says, reaching his left hand up to gently tap it. Karkat shudders and looks away. "Why?" John and Jade had described it as an ownership claim, but according to the actual expert(who may or may not be lying his ass off, a small voice in the back of his mind remarks), they've no clue what they're talking about, so might as well hope for a confirmation. "What does it even _do_?"

"It's just a mark, dipshit." Dave stares. Karkat groans. "Yes, okay, _fine_, it's-" he gestures hopelessly, fumbling for the words, "-a, er. Connection-enabler? Mind-soul-blood bond?"

He shots Dave a questioning look, but there's no help to be found. "It… binds you? Me? It tells the others that you're-" he breaks off, and when he continues it's obvious that he's revised his choice of words, but Dave's not really willing to press the issue anyways, so. Meh. "-not prey."

"Keeps me from being killed, you mean."

"…yeah, pretty much."

"And the ones who _don't_ want to kill me?"

Silence.

"Oh for fuck's sake- come _on_, just _tell _me, this is _vital information _you're withholding here." He sighs, rubbing his hand over his face. Karkat's eyes follow it- no, not his hand. His wrist. There's still blood, though the wound is mostly dried over, and, yep, tonight is officially the evening of Extremely Bad Ideas. "Alright, then. You're not gonna give it to me just like that. Okay. I can deal. How about a trade?" A small wave with his left hand. "You might not want me dead or whatever, but blood is still a thing for you, right?"

"Yeah," Karkat mumbles after a small pause. "It heals. Gives energy."

"Exactly. So. You answer that question, you get to, I don't know, drink from me? Is that what we're going to call it? Do the strange licking routine again?"

"I could just take it, if I wanted to."

"Yep," Dave says, without missing a beat. "But if you do, I will go straight back inside and cut my throat open afterwards." Karkat flinches, and Dave prays his poker face is as good as he remembers it being. He's never had to make a bluff this risky. "You can't enter houses without invitations. I go in there and off myself and _no one_ could get whatever you want from me. Now wouldn't _that_ be a waste?"

He's holding his breath. It all comes down to this, now. He could never go through with it – he's trying to stay _alive_ here, committing suicide would be rather counterproductive – but if he's lucky enough, Karkat won't _realise_ that. Or maybe it'll just be important enough not to risk it.

It's not really _playing_ if the stakes are low, is it?

"Fine."

What.

Apparently his bewildered staring is annoying, because Karkat starts glaring again. "I said _fine_, you dipshit," he snaps. "But if you can't keep up, that's _your_ problem. Not mine."

"Yeah, sure, of course, I'll just-"

"Shut up." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "_So_. Blood is great in general, life sustaining substance necessary for survival and so on. Anyone's blood'll do, if keeping yourself alive is all you want. But then there's people like _you_, and you're a whole lot rarer, and. Better tasting?"

"They're McDonalds I'm gourmet food?"

"Shut _up._" This glare is the most vicious one yet, and the blush is back on full effect. It'd be kinda cute if it wasn't for the fact that Karkat could probably kill him in three seconds flat if he wanted to. "_As I've been trying to tell you_-" ahahahahah no "-most of them – us – them – don't actually want you dead, or you'd never have lasted past your first birthday. There's another part to it, and we can't do that – well, technically we _could_, but it'd have no fucking effect – until you're sixteen. Which you are. Congratulations." His expression is looking strangely much like a 'please god no just get me out of here'. Serves him right, really. "Killing you grants, not quite immortality, but close enough, but only for an _individual_. The clan, the family, is more important. And the clan is granted prosperity if- if you-" he's blushing _so much _now, holy shit "-join it. By. Joining with the- the leader."

Dave frowns. "Wait, you mean like, sex?"

Karkat's blush somehow deepens even more. "_Yes._ Are we done now? Can I leave?"

"You mean all I have to do for this thing to be over is to have _sex_ with someone? Oh my god, why does it need to be such a big _thing_, I'm not exactly a blushing virgin over here-" well, yes, he is, but there's no need to _say_ so "- so _what exactly is the problem?_ A one night stand with some hot demon chick and I'm out of there, awesome-"

"It's _not that simple._" Well, fuck. Should've known there'd be more complications. "A union like that is _permanent, _you-" another string of words he can't keep up with "-it _can't be broken_. No 'one night stands' involved, it's _permanent_."

"Huh." Well, _fuck. _"So. Sex equals marriage, no take backs? Demons don't do divorce?"

"Not with you."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Oh.

Well. This is kind of pretty much definitely not what he expected to hear tonight. Wait, fuck, does that mean-

Karkat marked him. And what they were doing back then wasn't exactly- oh. _Oh._ Blood rushes up to his head and suddenly the night feels strangely warm, his throat dry. _Well._

"Stop _looking_ at me like that," Karkat says. "I've done my part of the trade, now man up."

Right. Trade. Blood. Nodding shortly, Dave takes a step closer, raising his wrist to Karkat, who grabs it. His hands are cold, and Dave can't help but shiver, breaths becoming shallower and shallower even before Karkat's lips touch his skin.

Then the _feeling_ is back – the heat pulsing under his skin, the feeling that he can feel _everything_, painfully aware of even the slightest breeze against his skin yet unable to focus on anything else than Karkat's breath against his wrist, and his tongue flicking over the wound, lips closing and for fuck's sake this was definitely _not_ supposed to be as ridiculously hot as it was, but his head is buzzing and feeling is all he can _do_ and he doesn't even realise he's moaning until Karkat makes a strange whine in the back of his throat and tugs on his arm, pulling him down to the ground and then they're kissing again, teeth clacking together in an urgency they don't have any _reason to feel-_

Someone taps their fingers against the door. _Rose. _Right. He's not supposed to-

this isn't-

not if it's _permanent- _

"no," he manages to say, pushing himself backwards, gasping for air. "no."

It stops. Their breaths are heavy in the silence and he is painfully aware of Karkat's presence, thighs pressed against his knees, everything so _close_-

but no. not now, not like this – maybe not ever. no.

It takes effort, mental and physical, but he stands up, shaking only a little. He feels drained and full of energy, all at once – though at this point he's probably just running at adrenaline. It's late as fuck, and it's been a long, long day.

He walks towards the door without looking back, thoughts once again too messed up to make sense of. Time. That's what he needs right now, time, and sleep. Preferably the kind without dreams.

Hah. Fat chance.

Karkat's fingers ghost over the mark on his neck and he _shudders_, inhaling sharply, but not flinching away from the touch. He hadn't even heard him move.

"I'm not going to let you die," he says, and Dave's not sure he was supposed to hear, because when he turns back around Karkat is already gone, the garden disappointingly empty. He lets his breath out in a shaky exhale.

Okay. Okay. Still alive. All limbs intact. Information acquired.

He enters the house again, feeling light. Rose meets him by the door and he gives her a short nod.

Mission motherfucking accomplished.


End file.
